Lietzke named keynote speaker for 2015 banquet

Lietzke named keynote speaker for 2015 banquet

Chamblee to return as guest host

FORT WORTH, Texas (Dec. 1, 2014) – The Ben Hogan Award Committee has announced that 13-time PGA TOUR winner Bruce Lietzke will serve as the keynote speaker at the 2015 Ben Hogan Award banquet. In addition, Golf Channel analyst Brandel Chamblee will return to serve as guest host.

Lietzke is one of just 11 multi-time Colonial champions, as he was won the 1980 Colonial National Invitation and the 1992 Southwestern Bell Colonial. Lietzke also won two more times in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex at the Byron Nelson Golf Classic.

“It’s great for me to visit Colonial any time, but this happens to be a very special reason,” Lietzke said. “I am very much looking forward to being part of the dinner and getting a chance to honor the best players in college golf.”

Lietzke, who grew up in Beaumont, Texas, was inducted into the Texas Golf Hall of Fame in 1991. Three of Lietzke’s victories came in the 1981 season, which led to an invitation to play on the legendary 1981 U.S. Ryder Cup team at Walton Heath Golf Club in England.

His best finish in a major was a runner-up showing at the 1991 PGA Championship, one of his four top-10 finishes at the tournament. Lietzke also had a pair of top-10 placements at the Masters and a sixth-place landing at the 1981 Open Championship.

Despite electing not to play more than 25 events in any PGA TOUR season, Lietzke never finished below 75th on the money list, and four times placed in the top 10 (1977, 1979, 1981 and 1984).

In addition, he won seven times on the Champions Tour, which included a major championship at the 2003 U.S. Senior Open. Lietzke also served as an assistant captain for the United States team at the 1999 Ryder Cup under captain Ben Crenshaw.

As a collegian, Lietzke helped the University of Houston to runner-up finishes in the NCAA Championships in 1971 and ’73. Additionally, he won the Texas State Amateur title in the summer of 1971.

Chamblee, the Golf Channel’s lead analyst for the network’s PGA TOUR coverage, previously served as guest host and interviewer at the 2014 banquet. A 15-year PGA TOUR veteran, he made the full-time transition to the broadcast booth in 2004. He serves as a studio analyst for “Golf Central,” “Golf Central Pre Game” and the network’s “Live From” telecasts during majors weeks.

“We are extremely honored and excited to have both Bruce and Brandel join us this year,” Ben Hogan Award co-chairman Dr. Bill Barnes said. “It will be a real treat for our finalists and our guests to hear from and meet two men who have done so much for the game of golf.”

The 2015 black-tie banquet will be held on Monday, May 18, 2015, at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth. For ticket information, call (817) 927-4280.

–www.TheBenHoganAward.org–